Author: Ryan Elwood

Ryan Elwood is a drummer based in Denver. During his career he has performed at venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre, festivals including the Underground Music Showcase, and recorded at the best studios in Colorado, including Macy Sound Studios and The Keep. Ryan has performed and recorded with artists including Natalie Walker, Doug Haywood, Kory Brunson, Craig Haller, Voodoo Kings, Automatic Iris, Jen Korte, Wonderlic, and ATOMGA. He has been teaching privately since 2002 and is a proud endorser of Vic Firth Drumstick and Humes & Berg Cases.

Listening to great musicians is an important part of becoming a better musician. I don’t know where I’d be today as a musician if it weren’t for all of the amazing records that I have listened to, especially during my formative years.

What follows is a list of a few albums in various genres that influenced me as a drummer. This list isn’t meant to by definitive by any means (it’s actually quite subjective) and it’s definitely not a complete list (I have so many records in my collection, it’s frightening).

Feel free to add your own influential recordings in the comments. Sharing music with one another is one of the best ways to discover new music. Have fun!